


One of us

by bioplast_hero



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Awkward Shiro (Voltron), Established Relationship, Everybody's got to save Shiro sometime, Hunk (Voltron) Whump, Hunk (Voltron) is so Pure, Hunk is the absolute sweetest, M/M, Male Friendship, POV Hunk (Voltron), Pining Shiro (Voltron), Protective Keith (Voltron), Unrequited Love, it's practically canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-20
Updated: 2019-02-20
Packaged: 2019-10-31 21:02:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17856896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bioplast_hero/pseuds/bioplast_hero
Summary: “Hey,” Hunk made his voice low and soothing. “I’ll be back before you know it. And besides, Shiro’s going, too, so that’s good—”Keith frowned.“About that,” Keith said quietly, “I kind of need you to keep an eye on him, too. Shiro has a way of trying to die on me.”“Keith, you know we always look out for each other—”“Just tell me that you will bring him back.”Hunk nodded. “Of course I will. It’s going to be just fine.”





	One of us

**Author's Note:**

  * For [songsforfelurian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/songsforfelurian/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Deep Pressure](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16584251) by [songsforfelurian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/songsforfelurian/pseuds/songsforfelurian). 



> So I've been super inspired by songsforfelurian's Deep Pressure, which has turned me into a Heith shipper. And I really wanted to write about Hunk and Shiro having a bonding experience, dealing with Hunk & Keith's budding relationship and Shiro's unrequited feelings for his best friend. So Keith is hardly in this at all, but it's all about him. 
> 
> Oh, and the yellow lion is clearly the rock element of the bunch, so I decided Hunk needed to discover he had a grappling hook. Very win-win. 
> 
> I've never written a gift work before, but I hope I did it justice! I always love comments, please and thank you. <3

+

 

The way Keith clung to him in the hanger made Hunk’s heart pound in his chest.

Keith approached PDA carefully for the most part, and Hunk understood that. He had to lead Voltron; there was still a war going on, even if Earth was safe—for now. Hunk found that Keith’s professionalism left him feeling no less loved, and probably even more respected than the alternative. Their work, their friendship, all of that was in tact. Their intimacy rested on top of that foundation. And that was definitely blowing Hunk’s mind.

And so it definitely didn’t escape Hunk’s notice that here, in the full view of everyone at the Garrison, Keith clutched him to his chest, grasped at his back with a bit more emotion that he tended to let show.

“Hey,” Hunk made his voice low and soothing. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

“I know,” Keith seemed to catch himself, loosening his grip. He met Hunk’s eyes, cringing just slightly. “I guess I’m not used to this yet. Not having you close, where I can be sure you’re safe.”

Hunk felt his eyebrows quirk upwards, concerned and fond at once.

“True. I’m sure I’d feel the same way, honestly,” Hunk scratched the back of his neck, fidgeting as he realized he was about to start rambling. _Reassure him_ , he thought. He looked Keith in the eyes as confidently as he could muster. “But this will be an easy one. And besides, Shiro’s going, too, so that’s good—”

Keith frowned.

 _Oh_.

“Not helping, am I?”

“No, you are,” Keith stroked his arm, his eyes soft but his mouth a hard line. _Worried_.

“And about that,” Keith said quietly, “I kind of need you to keep an eye on him, too. Shiro has a way of trying to die on me.”

“Keith, you know we always look out for each other—”

“Just tell me that you will bring him back.”

Hunk nodded. “Of course I will. It’s going to be just fine.”

Keith nodded back, appeased. Then he pressed his body back into Hunk’s chest, meeting his lips with a chaste kiss. “I believe you. Know why?”

“Why.”

“Because you’re amazing, and brave, and you mean what you say.”

Hunk felt the heat in his face. Keith’s confidence, Keith’s _love_. It meant the world to him.

Shiro walked past, headed for the yellow lion which would be their ride. He wore his old black paladin armor, now with his effortlessly cool floating arm, his white hair gleaming. He really looked the part of the hero, Hunk thought with some envy but no real bite.

Shiro was looking down for the most part, adjusting his glove, but he did glance up in their direction and meet Hunk’s eyes. His eyes seemed distant, neutral in a practiced way, but he smiled as warmly as he could at Hunk.

“Time to get going,” Shiro said kindly as he passed.

“Right behind you,” Hunk replied with the best smile he could muster.

“Shiro, hold up a tic?” Keith called after him. He looked at Hunk significantly, letting him go. “I will see you in a couple of days.”

There was so much he wanted to say, and he was out of time. He squeezed Keith’s hand with that perfect, deep pressure that he liked. “Yeah you will.”

He turned towards the yellow lion, giving Shiro and Keith a private moment. He couldn’t resist glancing over his shoulder when he was a few paces out of hearing range. Keith had his hand on Shiro’s shoulder, telling him something important, making him promise. Hunk turned away, feeling his blush return. He was pretty sure he could guess what Keith was saying.

_Just tell me that you will bring him back._

Hunk fitted his helmet as he climbed into the cockpit of his lion, already feeling her purr to life at his presence. Shiro was hardly a minute behind him. He stood over his shoulder for a few tics before he placed a hand on Hunk’s shoulder.

Hunk waited for him to say something. The moment stretched.

Shiro pulled his hand away, retreating from whatever had moved him a moment before. Hunk burned with curiosity that he would never in his life admit to. Shiro asked simply, “Ready to get underway?”

“Yeah I am,” Hunk said. He and Yellow took it from there.

 

+

 

It wasn’t all that often that the paladins had to split up for missions, since it really was all-or-nothing where Voltron was concerned. With Shiro keeping mostly to himself, Hunk found that he had altogether too much time to think along the way.

Hunk tried to recall the last time he’d been sent on a side mission, realizing that unless his memory was worse than he thought, he was pretty sure that the last time was when he and Keith went spelunking for scultrite. He remembered that he’d impressed Keith with his effective, albeit disgusting, plan. That success had softened some of the sharp edges of their awkward ride there, where he’d pretty much made a mess of trying to talk to Keith about his being half-Galra.

_God, what a bonehead I was! Way to make someone feel like a freak._

Hunk’s gut twisted with embarrassment, ashamed even now that he’d let Keith feel alien to him. He knew now, of course, that that was the least supportive, least helpful thing he could have done. It was a long time ago, he wasn't sure how to process the news, they were both young and dumb, but still.

 _Ugh_. He would apologize to Keith about that whole thing, when they got back.

Shiro walked up just then, ripping Hunk from his revelry. He spoke up cheerfully, glad he wasn’t going to avoid him for the entire trip. “Hey, man. How’s it going?”

Shiro’s voice held a smile. “Oh, you know. I’m fine. Honestly, catching up on a little sleep.” He rubbed his eyes wearily. 

“Oh, good! Dang, that’s probably what I’d be doing, too. I- I mean, not like you, you really need some sleep, and- not that I’m complaining, I’m good here, just that sleep is, like, one of my favorite things…”

 _Great work, pal,_ Hunk thought sarcastically to himself. _Now how about you try and shut up for just one second?_

But Shiro chuckled quietly to himself. Maybe this whole alone-time-with-Shiro thing didn’t have to be quite as excruciating as Hunk feared.

Shiro leaned into view, checking their position on the star charts. “What’s our ETA?”

“Still a bit over an hour,” Hunk summed up from the readout.

“Oh, okay. Good.”

The silence was deafening. Hunk was pretty sure Shiro didn’t breathe at all.

“I mean, feel free to relax, dude. Don’t let me stop you. I’ve got it up here.”

Shiro was quiet for two beats too long. “Sure, sounds good.” He walked away.

So. It was exactly as excruciating as he feared.

 _Man_ , Hunk thought. _I love you, Shiro, we all do, but right now YOU are killing me._

Hunk wondered to himself if it was that way with Keith, too. As in, before all of _this_ —before Hunk and Keith stumbled head-first into a relationship that took them both by storm, before Keith somehow left Shiro in the dust, wondering how he’d missed his chance to say things he’d never said. Hunk had been so sure it was all over, the moment Shiro showed signs of wanting to be with Keith, when they were recovering in the hospital from the battle of their lives, but Keith once again surprised him.

Keith chose _him_.

Sometimes Hunk thought darkly that it seemed like the wrong choice, all things considered, but he knew Keith would bite his head off if he ever got a whiff of that thought. More often, Hunk felt like what they shared was really special, mutual in a way Keith and Shiro had never seemed to be. Their easy intimacy stunned him: warm and safe and kind, and Keith just _felt right_ in his arms. Opening up, learning to trust. 

Everyone loved Shiro, and Keith most of all—no question—but there was sadness there, too. A lot of pain and worry, frustration, and a particular shade of regret. Keith definitely had issues with abandonment, he had every reason, and like it or not Shiro kept getting pulled from his grasp like some kind of cruel joke.

Hunk thought sometimes that Keith didn’t love Shiro back because he was afraid to, because it hurt too much. He’d probably never know.

But he did trust that Keith loved him, with bright smiles and passionate hands and honest confessions of sentiment, all three of which Hunk frankly thought he’d never get used to. Each new moment with Keith was an absolute marvel.

 

+

 

Hunk put Yellow down on the ice moon in a bit of a storm, checking his wrist display’s holomap as he walked towards the hatch. Shiro was there, pulling on his helmet and testing their comms.

Opening the hatch, snow swirled into the hold, dancing all around them in the updraft.

“Nice weather we’re having!” Hunk shouted over the din.

“Ha. Right.”

“Well, it’s a bit of a walk to the entrance of the rebel base, just up over that ridge. Found a safe route, but it looks a bit precarious.”

“Alright, we’ll stay on guard. Let’s go,” Shiro jumped down and took the lead.

They walked along the snowy ledge that curved upward in the driving wind toward the massive cave entrance that shielded the base. Hunk felt uneasy. It was hard to know if the ground was as solid as it looked, but the readings said it was fine.

Once inside, the wind died down and the snow stopped swirling, drifting lazily to the floor of the cave. They walked almost a kilometer down the rocky, snowy slope until they came to the gates of the base. The rebel forces sent a couple young scouts out to meet them, welcoming them warmly and pulling them inside and out of the chill.

Once the gates closed, Hunk let a shudder run through his whole body. The warmth all around him just drew attention to how cold he had gotten. He kind of hated winter, if he was honest. Not his idea of a good time. 

“Thank you, Paladins, for coming to our aid,” the rebel leader approached, beaming at them.

“No problem,” Shiro spoke for them both, still the leader whenever Keith wasn’t around. “We heard you had some equipment from the empire that you needed to get working? Hunk is our best engineer,” he said, patting Hunk on the back. He blushed.

“Yes, that is right. If we can get these thermal regulators going, we’ll be in great shape for relaying supplies for the relief efforts. Right this way, Paladin Hunk.”

 

+

 

The repairs went smoothly, and faster than expected; by early the next morning they were wrapping things up. Hunk never found machines all that perplexing, even if Pidge was an even greater whiz with code. Hunk loved it all; computers, engines, simple machines. They made sense to him.

He hardly needed Shiro’s help at all, as expected, which left Shiro to doing what he did best: building the Coalition, gathering intel, galvanizing the alliance. Hunk actually wished he could have seen more of that part. Sometimes he thought that maybe, after the war, he’d like to retire from fighting and help build the Coalition, meeting people from all different worlds. He’d want to get back to see his family a lot, of course, or… wow, maybe take them with him? Once it was safe out there, of course. And Keith, too? He wondered what the future would hold, once they ridded the universe of the threat of Honerva.

Although the main chambers were warm, the engine rooms were pretty dang cold. He wore his Paladin armor which kept most of him , but he couldn’t work for hours in that irritating, always-too-small helmet and those restrictive gloves. Working into the evening the night before, some of the rebel engineers caught Hunk eyeing their fur-lined hoods and mittens covetously. One bigger guy insisted that Hunk borrow his.

“Okay, that’s amazing, and I wouldn’t dream of saying no. But just… to borrow, okay? You need this stuff here. Which means you have to come meet me here tomorrow morning so I can give them back! We’ll probably be outta here at first light."

“Deal,” the man glowed, clapping Hunk’s hand. Sliding the coat on, tucking the mittens in the pockets, Hunk felt warm in more ways than one.

Now that it was morning, Hunk nuzzled his ears back into the fur lining of that hood and rubbed his mittened hands together to warm them, looking over his handiwork. _Basically done here_ , he thought.

Since they were wrapping up ahead of schedule, Shiro sent word back to the Garrison—and Keith, in particular—that they would be heading back early, departing pretty soon. Then he met back up with Hunk.

“Ready to go?”

“Yeah, but, uh. Hang on a tic. I’m looking for the guy who lent me this coat. He was supposed to meet me here bright and early.”

Shiro chuckled softly. “I wondered where the coat came from. I mean, you do know you’re wearing a spacesuit, right?” Shiro teased.

Hunk cupped a hand by his ear, speaking too loudly. “What was that, Shiro? I can hardly hear you with all this splendid fur hugging my toasty-warm ears.”

Shiro chuckled.

Hunk crossed his arms, turning up his nose in an exaggerated gesture. “Maybe you’re just jealous,” he taunted, then froze. _Oh_.

Luckily, Shiro just laughed. “Maybe I am.”

Just then, a bomb went off somewhere deep in the cavern. Someone shouted, _“Scavengers! We’re under attack!”_

Some people shouted and stampeded in fear, others took cover and held blasters to their chests, reader for crossfire. Honestly, if Shiro was the latter, Hunk was the former—for a moment, until he stopped himself. He crawled over the Shiro and crouched. “What now?”

Just then they ducked as a bomb went off from another direction, much closer. Debris flew in the heat of the blast.

As the air cleared, Shiro motioned to one of the rebels taking cover nearby, someone he thought would be in the know. The alien woman caught his eye and darted to his side.

“Paladins! I am glad you’re safe.”

“What’s going on?” Shiro shouted amidst the chaos.

“Pirates. After our supplies, I’m sure. You should get to your ship.”

Hunk looked incredulous. “We can’t just leave you all like this!”

“It’s too late for that now, the damage has been done. They destroyed our communication relay, the comms are completely out. We have minimal armament, you can bring reinforcements, but that won't matter. The thieves will be long gone by then. We’ll need supplies, medical aid. This is how you can help."

Shiro looked at Hunk. “Pel is right. If you return to the yellow lion, you can radio for help.”

“Right, okay. That makes sense.” Hunk hesitated. He really didn’t like letting Shiro out of his sight in a crisis. He felt his jaw tense.

“Alright,” Shiro nodded at Pel then returned his eyes to Hunk. “I’m coming with you for cover. We have no way of knowing where the combatants are.”

Relief washed over him as he nodded back. “Let’s do this.”

They picked their way through tunnels, back the way they came, checking around corners for an invisible enemy they didn’t know how to identify. Hunk rigged something on his display to scan for typical explosives and he wasn’t picking anything up, but he wasn’t able to get a read on what they had used in the attack. They heard and felt another explosion deep within the base.

So many lives at stake. Hunk gritted his teeth and broke into a run. Shiro was definitely jogging now to keep up.

They could see the stormy sky ahead as the cave floor angled upward toward the towering entrance. Just then Hunk heard Shiro call after him, “ _Get Down_!”

The bomb went off overhead just as Hunk began dropping to a crouch, his arms loosely protecting his head as he was blown backward into Shiro from the force of the explosion. Shiro broke his fall, mostly. Shiro was already getting to his feet, helping Hunk move quickly even while his head throbbed. His hearing felt muffled, from the explosion or the adrenaline or both.

There was a terrible boom overhead, not a bomb but a shearing force as the cave started coming down around them. Shiro half-shoved, half-carried Hunk through the falling debris toward the cave wall to their right just in time as the center of the cave’s ceiling came crashing down where they had been only moments before.

Shiro’s mech hand was busy deflecting boulders over their heads until they made contact with the icy wall which curved low overhead where you could reach up and touch it. It did seem to be the sturdiest spot in any direction. Hunk slumped down against the wall while Shiro covered him with his body until the shaking stopped.

The light was dim and gray-blue, filtering in weakly through their ice and rock prison. Dim enough for the lights on their suits to highlight their features.

Shiro moved, looking around at their situation, while Hunk blinked through the afterimages and tried to focus on what he could see. They were completely blocked in side-to-side, and the way forward and back were also filled with rock, about 20 meters behind them and 10 meters ahead. Hunk gulped and held his head.

Shiro knelt in front of him, speaking in soothing tones. “Hey Hunk, can you hear me?”

Hunk cleared his throat roughly. “Yeah-”

Shiro was looking back and forth between his eyes, probably trying to gauge if he had a concussion, and then studied his head where it stung.

“You have a cut here that probably stings, but it looks superficial. The bleeding has already stopped. You might have a concussion and you’re definitely in shock from the blast. Does anything else hurt?”

Hunk laughed weakly. “Besides everything? Is that too, uh, general?”

“Yeah, Hunk,” Shiro laughed, appreciating his humor. “More specific would be helpful. Like, you’re holding your leg?”

“Hmm. Yep. Definitely my right leg is killing me.”

Shiro gently pried his hands away to investigate. His jaw tensed as he saw the awkward angle of his knee. That didn’t look like good news.

Hunk laughed. “Maybe we can just cut it off, you know? Start over. I can get, like, a cool detachable prosthetic leg like your arm? How hard can it be?”

Shiro concealed his smile, and not very well, looking like he wanted to scold him but didn’t have it in him to do it.

“I hate to break it to you, but I think you’re going to get to keep your leg. We just have to find a way out of here,” Shiro muttered, getting up and looking around. "Wait, where's your helmet?"

Hunk gulped. "I, uh, I think it's back on top of the engines I was working on. It's just that it's always too tight, wearing it too long makes my eyes cross," he felt himself tensing all over, rationalizing, worried about Shiro's disappointment. "I bet my head would be in better shape though."

"Let's not worry about that. I'm glad you've got that ridiculous coat. It's, uh, pretty cold in here, and we might have to sit tight for a while."

Hunk thought for a moment with a dark look, then brightened. “Hey! Maybe I can call Yellow over here! She could, like, smash us out?”

“Okay. That’d be something. She could probably melt a path for us with her blasters without bringing the top down again. If nothing else, she could get word out to Voltron,” Shiro said. _To Keith_. “Worth a go.”

Hunk closed his eyes, concentrating. _Come on, girl. We need your help_. He reached for the thread of her consciousness, knowing that if he could find it, if he could track it down, that she would come. His head throbbed awfully but he couldn’t let that stop him. They had to get out of here.

He strained into the void. He pushed out farther, searching, pleading. He felt dizzy, sick from the strain, but he- he couldn’t feel her. But that was impossible, she was so close by! This should be easy, child’s play, with how strong their bond had become. He’d called her from _Saturn_ , for Christ’s sake!

But when he reached for her, there was nothing.

After a long time, Hunk opened one eye sheepishly.

“Everything okay?” Shiro’s voice was calm, soothing the mounting panic in Hunk’s chest.

Hunk looked up at him. “I can’t feel her. I don’t understand it—”

Shiro crouched down opposite him again.

“Hey, hey, give it time. You’re hurt, weakened,” he reached for the hood of Hunk’s ridiculous winter coat, adjusting it forward hoping to keep him comfortable. “We’ll try again later, but for now, save your strength. I’m going to get a better look around, see if I can start cutting our way out.”

Hunk hung his head. He pulled the coat’s matching mittens out of the pockets and slipped them on, trying to focus on the softness and the warmth and not the fear of being buried alive.

“And hey,” Shiro continued brightly, “the rebels know which way we went, too. Surely they’ll be mounting a rescue.” Hunk met his eyes again. “Now it’s our job to beat them to it,” Shiro teased, actually winking at him.

The gesture took Hunk back years to the Shiro he’d first gotten to know, the Kerberos legend, their leader and the black paladin, and honestly one of the sweetest, most charming guys he’d ever known.

Hunk’s heart leapt with hope. He couldn’t help but smile back.

 

+

 

Hunk could hear Shiro struggling to move something heavy, just beyond Hunk’s view around the corner. He’d been burrowing there for over an hour, panting and straining, sometimes talking out loud to himself.

Hunk wanted to check the time, but they were saving power in their suits. _Just in case_ , Shiro had said. 

Shiro crawled around the corner and seemed to consider standing up before he stretched out flat on the cavern floor instead, stretching his back and his legs, rolling his shoulders.

“How’s it looking?”

“Good, good. I’m- making- progress-” Shiro’s voice strained as he twisted to pop his lower back.

“That’s… good.”

There it was, the satisfying popping sound. Then the other side. Shiro relaxed for a moment before rolling onto his side and shuffling on his hip until he sat leaned against the wall beside Hunk.

“Yeah, it’s good. It’s taking a while, though.”

“Can I help?”

“I mean, not really. There’s only room for one of us in there at a time, anyway. Besides, you’re in worse shape than I am.” Shiro looked at Hunk. “How’s the pain?”

“Uh. Well. You know. Painful?” Hunk laughed weakly. Shiro joined him.

“Sounds about right. You just save your strength, okay? I’m making progress. I just…”

“What?”

“Well, I wish we had some water.”

Hunk produced a metal canteen from his coat pocket. “There’s a little left. I figured when we ran out we could melt some ice with your prosthetic or something.”

Shiro looked surprised and very pleased as he took a sip. “That’s a great idea. Not that I’m surprised. You’ve always been brilliant.”

Hunk blushed, shuffling uncomfortably. “You don’t have to say that.”

“You think I don’t mean it,” Shiro said quietly. “But I do. I always thought you were brilliant, and as far as I’m concerned, you loving Keith only proves it.”

Hunk chewed on this quietly. They never talked about Keith. It always seemed too hard.

“I can tell that Keith is happy,” Shiro continued. “You bring him joy and, well, comfort. Warmth and ease. He’s never gotten to have that, not since he was small. I can‘t think of anyone who deserves it more.”

Hunk wanted to say, _Except you_. But he couldn’t bring himself to say it, to lay it bare like that. Shiro had given everything, lost everything, and Hunk couldn’t shake the feeling they he’d taken something away from him, too.

Not that Keith belonged to anyone, not like that. But that without Hunk there, Keith and Shiro might've found that comfort in each other somehow.

Shiro shifted. “I’m sorry, I know it’s none of my business. I just want to repair this-” Shiro gestured vaguely between them, failing to find the words. He tried again with a sigh. “I’m sorry if I let my awkwardness around Keith drive a wedge between us, Hunk. You’re my friend, and I care about you. That hasn’t changed.”

Hunk blinked at him, feeling warm for the first time in hours. “I know. I love you too, Shiro. We all do. Especially Keith. I’m just so glad you guys have been okay. I- I wanted to thank you, actually,” Hunk fidgeted with his mittens.

“Thank me?” 

“For coming through for Keith, when he asked to stay friends. I mean, he needs you, Shiro. You know how losing you has devastated him; it’s, like, his greatest fear. And all this must have been hard on you, I can only guess what you’ve been going through, but you were always there for him. Yeah, you were maybe a little awkward, but we both know Keith hardly notices,” Hunk sighed laughing.

Shiro outright laughed in surprise and agreement. “True.”

“But you stayed, and convinced him he wasn’t going to lose you over this. That means everything to him. And it means the world to me,” Hunk placed a hand on Shiro’s arm, which Shiro covered with his mech hand and squeezed. “So, like, don’t worry about it, man. A little awkward silence is nothin’ we can’t handle.”

Shiro laughed. “Okay, deal.”

 

+

 

“Uh, Shiro?”

Shiro groaned with exertion, seeming far, far away.

"Shiro!" he called, weakly.

Hunk could hear him shuffling from a long ways off. "Hunk?" He was crawling back quickly now.

Hunk took a few deep breaths, trying to focus. When Shiro crawled around the corner, his face tensed from the sight of him. _I look that bad, huh?_

“Shiro, I, uh- I can’t feel my leg.”

Shiro frowned as he hurried to his side and crouched. “All of a sudden?”

Hunk wobbled as Shiro steadied him by the shoulders, causing the ice crystals that were caught in the fur of his hood to shimmer in the low light.

“Uh, probably not so sudden, but I think I dozed off for a while,” he cringed. He probably wasn’t supposed to sleep with a concussion. Was that right? He couldn’t remember.

Shiro patted his shoulder, soothing him. “That’s okay. You could use the rest.” Shiro studied his leg. “As far as I can tell, you tore your ACL here,” Shiro drew a line with his fingertips along the outside of Hunk’s injured knee. “It’s a painful injury, and crawling out of this tunnel is going to be a bit hellish, honestly, but it’s not life-threatening. A healing pod will fix you right up.”

Hunk could see Shiro hesitate. “But? There's a _but_ , isn’t there.”

Shiro’s mouth twisted in a puzzled frown. “I can’t figure out why your leg would be numb unless you’re just that cold. But you’re not shivering yet-“

“Yeah, I was shivering a whole bunch earlier, but it stopped and I just got really tired.”

Shiro gaped at him, reaching for his face and finally feeling how cold he was. “Hunk! You need to tell me these things.”

Hunk looked at him blankly. 

“That means you have hypothermia. We have to get you warm. Turn off low power mode, you need more heat from your suit.” Hunk reached sluggishly for his wrist panel. Shiro helped him. Then he moved to sit next to Hunk and hauled him up into his lap.

“Whoa- what er you doin’?”

“I’m getting you off the ice.”

“Don’t you need to, like, tunnel us out right now?”

“Yeah, but we need to warm you up before I can do that. Need you in one piece, Hunk.” Shiro hugged him to his chest, balancing his weight without difficulty. His mech hand rested over Hunk’s heart, giving off a low current of energy that was starting to warm him.

Hunk found himself relaxing into Shiro’s strong frame, slumped down slightly, warm and safe. His thoughts were disorganized. He just knew he had a question a moment ago.

 _Oh. That's what it was_.

“When did you know you had feelings for Keith?”

Shiro went still. Hunk vaguely thought that maybe he wasn’t supposed to ask that. That maybe the cold was messing with his head. But it was too late now, and he wanted to know.

Shiro seemed determined not to answer him. Hunk felt a bit sad about that but also too tired to feel hung up about it. He felt his head loll sleepily to the side, fading fast.

“Hunk, Hunk, stay with me buddy. I need you to stay awake right now.” Shiro shifted Hunk’s weight again, resting Hunk’s cheek against his temple. “Answer me.”

Hunk mumbled, “I’m here. My head is- whew,” he sighed.

Shiro cleared his throat. “Okay just follow my voice, alright? You asked me a question, right?”

“Um, right. Uh-”

“When did I...” Shiro prompted him, forcing Hunk’s brain into action.

“Oh. When did you know, about Keith?”

Shiro licked his lips, hesitating. “I- I don’t know when it started. Keith and I, well, we were always close. It’s hard to pick out when it changed.”

“Wh- what changed, exactly?”

“Um. Okay. Good question. When we met, I wanted to look out for him. I saw a little of myself in him, and I wanted to give him the chance he’d never gotten. He needed someone in his corner. You know?” Shiro prompted him to reply. _Sounding off._

Hunk shivered once. “Yeah. Yeah, I get that.”

“Okay. But, I mean, you know Keith. He surprised me constantly. Earnest and dedicated and generous. Angry like a wounded animal, sure, but beneath all that just… Kind. Thoughtful. He got right under my skin. I admired him, with all his rough edges. Of course he's talented, but he's also... he's amazing.”

Hunk’s chest tightened through more full-body shivers. “He’s the most amazing person I’ve ever known.”

“Yeah,” Shiro’s voice caught with emotion. Hunk shuddered and shivered worse than before, vaguely aware that this was a good sign. Shiro gripped him tight. “So I loved him then, like a brother, before I even left Earth.”

“Okay. But then- at some point- you loved him- _not_ \- like a brother?”

“Yes.”

Hunk waited, shivering.

“Hunk, this is really hard.”

Something like self-awareness came flooding back into Hunk’s cold-muddled brain. “Oh man, I’m- I’m sorry, I’m s- such- an asshole-“ his teeth chattered.

“No, no, it’s okay-“

“Wh- why am I asking you this? Ple- please forget I said anything,” Hunk squirmed through the next bout of shivers, wishing he could crawl into a hole. Preferably a nice, warm hole.

“It’s okay, Hunk. Really, I don’t mind. I- I think I want to talk about it, honestly, if that's okay. I just... don’t know if I have an answer. It’s all mixed up, my memories from before I died, and the clone’s thoughts and feelings, and feeling so lonely out there in the star field. And- and then stitching it all together somehow. I’m still working on that last part,” he laughed mirthlessly.

Hunk felt ashamed. “I mean, totally fair. You’ve been through so much.”

“We all have, Hunk. Come on.” He shifted, growing still. “So why does it matter when?” 

“I d-don’t know. It- doesn’t.”

“It matters to you.”

Hunk stayed quiet, shivering and cringing. The pain in his leg was coming back with a vengeance and radiating up his body as he warmed enough to feel it.

“I- I think I first realized I wanted him when I was out there in the astral plane. I felt it when Keith bonded with the black lion, maybe not the first time he did but the second. He was back from the abyss but I didn’t know what had happened, and suddenly he was there with me. Older, more centered. It shocked me, like, how long had I been gone? I didn’t even know anymore. I’d missed him so much and then I just… _felt_ him.”

“Whoa,” Hunk gaped.

Shiro cleared his throat, pushing past emotion. “He was there in my mind, like he was a part of me, in the way that we're part of our lions, but- but I couldn’t touch him. And I realized I _wanted_ to touch him. Wanted him to touch me. Not like a brother... like a lover. I felt so much regret that I couldn’t hope to even tell him what he meant to me, let alone _touch_ him ever again.”

Hunk wiped at his eyes, unable to stop the tears. It was too much.

“Hey, Hunk, hey. Why are you crying?”

“Because you’re breaking my heart, Shiro! It’s so beautiful and sad. How did you not fall into his arms the minute you came back?”

“I mean, I did,” Shiro laughed, remembering slumping against Keith’s shoulder when he first opened his eyes, surrounded by the team.

Hunk laughed too, through tears. “You know damn well what I mean.”

“I know, I know. But it takes two, you know? Keith made clear he didn’t see me that way. That he loved me like a brother, which was honest, I think. I was glad for that much. I could hardly look at myself for a while, knowing what I had put him through at that facility.”

“That wasn’t you!”

“I mean, that’s true, and it’s not. The trauma was real, for both of us. I needed to know that he forgave me, but I knew what he’d say if I asked and… it wasn’t enough, not enough for me to know. I had to see it, I guess. By the time I did, I almost lost him again. And in between, he found you.”

Hunk was speechless.

“More than you wanted to know?” 

“No,” Hunk replied honestly. “I wanted to know all of it, even though I’m not sure that’s fair. To either of you. I’ve just never understood how it’s even possible, how there’s any reality at all where Keith is with me and… not with you.”

Hunk wasn’t shivering very much anymore, but Shiro still held him. Shiro spoke softly, carefully. “I understand it perfectly, and more importantly, Keith does. You are a ray of perfect sunshine in his life. You are his safe harbor, and the answer to his secret hope. That he’s not broken like he thinks he is. That he can love and be loved.”

“Of course he can. Th- that's absurd."

"But deep down, you know that's what he thought. When he'd never been close to anyone in that way, never felt like he wanted someone to get that close."

"Ugh. Yeah, I know. But you believed in him first.”

Shiro nodded.”I showed him he had what it takes. I believed in his _potential_ , his future. You, Hunk, you believed in his present. Loved him _today_ , without reservation. You taught him that he is already enough. I- I couldn’t do that, not like you did.”

Hunk's heart felt too full. 

“I- I don’t know what to say.”

“Just promise me you’ll keep showing him that, and never stop. He’s gonna need you…”

Something in his voice gave Hunk pause. He turned over his shoulder to look at Shiro. “What- what are you saying?”

Shiro hung his head. 

“I’m still sick, Hunk. I don’t have forever. I guess I'm secretly hoping you can look out for him, when I can't anymore.”

“Yes, of course, but— dammit, Shiro, no talking like that. You’re giving me the creeps. We’ve gotta focus on getting out of here right now. You're fine.”

Shiro looked sheepish, thoroughly scolded. “Yeah. You’re right, of course.”

“Speaking of which, you pulled it off. I’m, like, totally warm now. No more Hunk popsicle. How much is left on that tunnel?”

“Not much. I’m almost through. Maybe one more hour.” Shiro settled him back onto the cave floor again, helping him lean against the wall while Hunk winced from having to move his leg.

“Keep your suit dialed up at least partway. You should be fine now, but for God's sake tell me next time you’re shivering out of your seat! I’m getting you home, you know. I made a promise.”

Hunk blushed, nodding. “I bet you did.”

 

+

 

Shiro roused Hunk about an hour later. He was warm enough but kept nodding off, just feeling weaker as time wore on. He was hungry and in pain and his head was a total mess. 

“Come on, Hunk. I got through and scouted the way. It’s going to be rough, but you can make it. It’s time to go.”

“Can’t tell you how happy I am to hear you say that,” Hunk huffed a laugh.

Shiro smiled at him without any joy. He must be worried, Hunk thought. 

“Okay, well," Shiro nudged him around the corner to look, "first you have to crawl. I’m sorry, that is not gonna feel good,” Shiro winced empathetically.

“Well I’m sure as hell not staying in here!” He took off the huge mittens, pulling on the paladin armor gloves instead and flexing his hands.

“Glad to hear it,” Shiro said too seriously.

Hunk thought about the logistics for a second, then rolled onto his back somewhat lifted onto his left hip so that his bad right knee was kind of just dragging behind him. He started to push with his good leg, sliding over the ice on his back past excavated chunks of ice and rock, through the path Shiro had cleared to the tunnel he'd borrowed.

His leg hurt something awful, but it felt good to be moving. He was almost giddy with relief. He’d tried not to let himself think too much about dying there, but now that he knew they were leaving he staked that fear in the heart. Nothing was going to stop him now. This wasn’t so bad.

Shiro called after him, “Wow! Okay, don’t push yourself too hard. You’ll need some strength on the other side. I’m right behind you.”

The tunnel was long and parts of it were rough, very narrow or littered with debris. Hunk craned his neck back to see how far he still had to go. Halfway? To think Shiro had cleared all of this in a day, even with energy weapons, was pretty incredible. It wasn’t the first time Hunk thought Shiro was incredible. Not by a longshot. But he had plenty of time to marvel as he kicked his way through this frozen channel Shiro had devised for their escape.

He could see snow swirling at the mouth of the tunnel ahead. It was just starting to reach him.

“Shiro! We’re almost out!”

“Steady on, then.”

Hunk heard it in Shiro’s voice again, something wrong. Deep in thought. A black mood but totally determined. He gulped.

“Shiro, is there anything you need to tell me?”

"When you get out there, be careful. I don’t know how much weight the ledge can hold, so,” Shiro swallowed. “Nice and easy.”

“Anything else?”

Silence. “Just be careful.”

“Okay, I’m out, and—” he froze. Hunk had poked his head out onto a ledge of well-trampled snow, knowing Shiro had been here before scouting. The wind whipped around his head as he rolled onto his stomach painfully. His nose peered over the edge into a ravine. He couldn’t even see the bottom, closing his eyes as wind and snow stung at his face.

Hunk cursed.

“Alright,” Shiro called from behind. “Turn right and wait for me. Don't worry, I’ll help you.”

Hunk cursed again, gulping as he scrambled to a seated position, grasping the rock behind him. The ledge was so narrow that he had to squeeze sideways to keep his legs on the rock where they wouldn't dangle.

Shiro pulled himself free, crouching beside Hunk. “Think you can grab hold of the rock and, uh, walk, if I help you?”

“Ye- yes,” he said, nervously.

Shiro helped him up and got his hands secure. Hunk started to traverse, hopping as lightly as he could on his left leg while his right was little use. Looking ahead he found the ledge got narrower and narrower until, at least from this angle, it seemed to vanish. It must be an illusion. Shiro said he found the way out.

As they drew closer, Hunk could plainly see the ledge fell away to nothing for 20 paces before it reappeared further along.

“Um. Shiro?”

“I know,” Shiro shouted over the wind.

“What’s the plan?”

“Jetpack. I checked your suit, you’ve got enough power.”

“That’s a long way.”

“Got a better idea?”

Hunk shook his head. Something was still wrong. “Shiro, what aren’t you telling me? I need you to trust me.”

Just then the ledge shuddered. “We don’t have time for this, Hunk. Move!”

“Going!”

The ledge started to break apart beneath them. “Jetpack, now!” Shiro shouted. Hunk complied, powering it on and carrying himself a couple meters to a part of the ledge that hadn’t collapsed. He hollered in pain as he landed, clinging to the rock. He felt Shiro’s reassuring hand on his back, as though he’d pushed him the whole way. Hunk turned to thank him and his stomach dropped right out of boots.

Shiro was clinging to the rockface over the ravine by one hand and two toeholds, the ledge completely gone beneath him.

“Shiro!”

“You have to keep going, Hunk!” Shiro shouted, shoving him forward with his mech hand instead of using it to hold himself.

“Hell no! Not without you! Use your jetpack!”

“It was damaged, Hunk. I- I can’t.”

Hunk scowled. “You knew! The whole time—”

“Go, Hunk. One of us has to make it out of here.” Finally he brought his mech hand back to help him hold on in the wind.

“Shiro, god damn you! I made a promise, too!”

“Go! Just go!”

“No!”

Hunk felt the yellow lion in his mind all of a sudden. Coming to them. Showing him what he had to do.

His bayard was taking shape, something he’d never seen before.

A grappling hook.

Hunk looked at the rock above them and fired it into a ledge overhead. “Shiro, hold on! You’re going to have to grab on!” He used his jetpack and his good leg to swing out. Shiro’s eyes were so wide, probably terrified but also more than a little impressed.

When he got in range, Shiro lept from the wall and grabbed onto Hunk’s shoulders and the weapon’s handle. Hunk guided them safely to the ledge, immediately looking for their next grappling hook hold.

“I can’t believe you did that.”

“We are a team. We go together, or not at all.”

Shiro nodded. “Let’s move.”

Shiro clung to Hunk as they swung again. It was a long way. He used his mech hand to keep them moving, keeping them away from the wall. Hunk’s jetpack softened their landing. The shelf was wider now, covered in deep snow but more sound than it had been before. Hunk led the way, limping but high on adrenaline and determination. Shiro gave him a helping hand, literally, even as he followed behind.

Hunk felt more than saw Yellow racing toward them. He knew she would be there even before they rounded the corner. Her eyes glinted as her mouth opened to catch them and carry them away from this place.

Hunk slumped against Shiro in the entry bay and just let Yellow fly. He was seeing a bit through her eyes; she was headed to rendezvous with the rest of the team, already on their way when Keith hadn’t heard a word from them after several hours. She’d already sent their position and route.

They owed Keith an explanation, that was for sure. But first Hunk needed to languish in the fact that they’d actually lived through all of that.

 _Both_ of them.

Shiro helped him slide down until they were seated on the floor against the bulkhead, snow and ice melting off of them into a gritty puddle.

Hunk panted hard, straining as he adjusted his leg. Then he eyed Shiro.

“I am so mad at you right now.”

“I suppose I deserve that.”

“Well?”

“I didn’t know you could do that, what you did!”

“No. Nope. Just, no. That’s no excuse!”

Shiro sighed, letting his head fall back against the bulkhead. “I wasn’t trying to be a martyr, Hunk. I don’t want to die, trust me. But it looked like only one of us could make it out of there. I had to choose. And you have a long life ahead of you…” he fell silent, shutting his eyes.

Hunk waited until Shiro looked at him again.

“You can’t just go around deciding who’s going to make it out, and who isn’t. That’s not how teams work.”

Shiro’s mouth fell open, then closed. Finally his mouth quirked up into a helpless smile.

“You’re more like him than you know.”

“Quit buttering me up. You’re still in the doghouse.”

 

+

 

Keith’s frown lines were intense in the weird uplighting of the black lion’s cockpit on the video feed. He honestly looked freaked, which he disguised as anger. Hunk knew better.

“I told you, everybody’s okay!”

“I let you two out of my sight for one day.”

“And we saved each other’s lives a bunch of times, like we always do. Honestly, it’s, like, all in a day’s work.”

Keith smirked. “I hate it.”

“Come on, Keith! I found out I have a grappling hook!”

Keith smiled for real then. “You’re amazing, baby. Not that I'm surprised."

Hunk flashed him such an enormous grin it made his face hurt.

"We’re coming to get you, rendezvous in… one hour. We brought the Atlas for the relief efforts. And,” Keith trailed off.

“And?”

“And you need a frigging healing pod, man,” he quirked an eyebrow in a wry smile.

“What I need is a big bowl of noodles. I’m, like, so famished right now! Do you know how long it's been since I've eaten, and how many times I almost died since then?”

Keith winced. "Not helping, Hunk."

Just then Hunk heard Shiro walking up behind him, Keith's eyes flashing to him. He turned to look.

“Well, we’re fresh out of noodles,” Shiro said with a smile in his voice. “But I thought you might like one of those ‘space burritos’ you always make. Hope it’s decent, but, uh, it’s my cooking, so no promises.”

He handed him the plate. Hunk gaped at it openly. Food was definitely one of Hunk’s love languages.

Keith grinned at the two of them. “Okay, you two, hang tight. We’ll be there soon.”

 

+++

**Author's Note:**

> I live for comments. ^_^ Thank you for reading!


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